Mrs Justice Cockerill, head of the Commercial Court, set the scheme up with the help of Combar, listing staff and her clerk pulling together hearings and identifying any potential conflicts.
‘The bench is so long I can sit with a pupil on one side and my judicial assistant on the other, all properly socially distanced,’ Cockerill J said. She hopes some of the pupils will go on to apply to become judicial assistants, an opportunity also open to solicitors and academics.
During this week (25 January), a different pupil was able to attend each day of a live trial.
William Moody, 24, started his pupillage at Henderson Chambers last September. Apart from two online hearings, his day with Mr Justice Henshaw before Christmas was the first time he had been in court for a hearing.
‘It felt quite extravagant being elevated directly from pupillage to High Court judge,’ he says. ‘What jumped out at me was the truth in the saying that the judge can ‘see everything’ from the bench: every yawn, every stretch, every nervous glance - I could see it, and I am certain the judge could see it too.
‘Pupillage has been especially challenging, given a large chunk of the training - around advocacy, client handling, working in a team - is nearly impossible to attain. Having the bench eye view and seeing legal teams interact in front of you was invaluable.’
University professor Eirik Bjorge, 37, is doing his pupillage at Brick Court Chambers. He had only participated in remote hearings before spending a day in court with Mr Justice Foxton.
‘I was extremely well looked after and particularly enjoyed the contract law discussions with the judge and his judicial assistant, who was, co-incidentally, a former student of mine,’ he says.
‘There is no doubt that, seeing things, down to the smallest practicalities, from the judge’s perspective, helps you to be a more effective advocate.’
